Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1887-08-11
CLEvELAND's PENSION RECORD.
The Way IL Looks in Cold Figures
tBat4sWon't Lie"


An investigator with a keen regard
for figures, says the New York Herald,
has gone over the statutes Of the United
States and Pension Bureau records, and
by actual count has made up these sta
tisties regarding the Pension Office busi-
ness, which shed clear light on that
part of President Cleveland's admins
tration. His figures, as to private pen
sion acts, are: General Grant, from
1870 to 1877, inclusive, period of eight
years, approved 485 private pension
acts; President Hayes, from 1877 to
1881, inclusive, period of four years,
approved 303 private pension acts;
Presidents Garfield and Arthur, from
1882 to 1885, inclusive, a period of four
years, approved 736 private pension
acts; while President Cleveland, from
1886 to 1887, inclusive, a period of only
two years, has approved 1863 private
pension acts. ~ 0
This is seventy-seven more than
Presidents Grant and Hayes approved
in twelve years, and 127 more than
Garfield and Arthur approved in four
years. President Cleveland has also,
to begin with, appointed more ex-
Union soldiers to Office than any other
President. He approves the act OF OF
March I9, 1886, which increased to Sl2
per month the pension offs, 9S9 widows,
minors and dependent relatives OF
Union soldiers of the late war. He
approved the act of August 4, 1885,
which increased the pension of 10000
crippled and MANNED Union soldiers
of the late war. He approved the act
of January 30, 1887, which placed upon
the pension rolls over 25,000 survivors
and widows of the war with Mexico.
Against this record the enemies OF
President Cleveland can point to moth
ing which they disapprOve except his
vetoes of 1923 private pension acts and
of the Dependent Pension bill. That
he was right in vetoing every one oI
these private pension bills, reading OF
the vetoes themselves and an eXamina-
ton of the records in the cases will
show, and the veto of the Dependent
Pension bill, as presented to him, was
demanded by the almost unanimous
press of the country, as well as by
thinking men of all parties both in ano
out of the ranks of the Union veterans
of the country.
The work of the bureau in the two
years under his administration By
Gen. John &. Black, Commissioner o
Pensions, has also been, looked up. Ii
is: ,... .-,.r..s ...., ~
From July /, 1885, to June 80, 1887
inclusive, 29S, 500 pension certificates o
all classes were issued by the bureau o.
Pensions.
From July 1, 1883, to June 80, 1885
1851 pension certificates ofall classe
were issued-an increase of 139, $50 Ger
tificates in favor of the first two year
under Democratic administration owe
fhe preceding two years under Republi
can rule.
From July l, 1855, to June 80, 1887
there was disbursed on account of pen
I sions $139, ,584, ,270.45.
From July l, 1883, to June 80, 1885
there was disbursed on account of pen
sions $122,967, ,243.46, showing an in
crease of SIG, ,617, ,026.99 for the first tw,
years under a Democratic administra
> ton over the last two years under
Republican administration.
On July l, 1883, there were 303,6
pensioners upon the rolls. On July
|; 1885, there were upon the rolls 345, II
pensioners, being net increase to tn
rolls during the last two years unde
Republican rule of Al ,467.
On the first day of July, 1887, ther
were upon the rolls 402, 900 pensioners
!; unofficial, but low estimate-or o ne
gain to the rolls during the first tw
years under Democratic rule of 56,S7t
a net gain of IL, ,408 to the rolls durin
the first two years of President Cleve
land administration over the last tw
years of President Arthur's administra
tion.
During the fiscal year ending June 81
! 1887, 1880 certificates of all classe
were issued by the Bureau of Pensions
of which So, 1914 were "original,n bein
5,017 in excess of the highest numbe
ever before issued in the history of til
Bureau.
A leading pension official says: Thes
figures stand as perpetual rebuke t
: vicious partisans who, for partisan pu
poses, are seeking to impress upon tn
North the belief that the administr;
! tion of President Cleveland is oppose
to liberal pension legislation and an Ell
emy to Union soldiers. 1t will not d.
By their fruits shall ye know then
The fruits of the administration
President Cleveland and his able Con
missioner of Pension, Gen. John
! Black, show beyond cavil or questio
= that the Union soldier of the countr
never had better friend than the pre-
ent administration